Response papers should be part summary and part critical reflection. In the summary you should demonstrate your knowledge of the work(s) as a whole and also how it(they) relates to other class readings and discussion. This is both for your benefit and mine. For you, it gives you the opportunity to revisit what will have been a month's worth of reading and class discussion. Also, by putting into your own words your understanding of this material, the intention is that you yourself will become enfranchised as a thinker and writer as you become aware of common concerns and/or problems with the authors in question. For me, it provides a means by which I am able to hold you accountable to fulfilling the requirements of the course. It also allows me some insight into what themes and issues are of most interest to the class as a whole.
The critical reflection portion of the Response Paper is dependent on your own choosing and interest. You may offer a critique of a certain argument made by an author. You may express your appreciation of a position and a reasoned argument of your own on why a particular point is especially relevant. You may bring in other materials, texts, issues from outside the course as a critical lens by which you can evaluate and assess a given topic. Or, you may simply express your frustration and confusion.
The response paper should be anywhere from 2-10 pages in length as long as you fulfill both portions of the requirement. And as always, if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact the instructor.
-Jeff